Necrotizing Enteritis and Hyperammonemic Encephalopathy Associated With Equine Coronavirus Infection in Equids.
Abstract: Equine coronavirus (ECoV) is a Betacoronavirus recently associated clinically and epidemiologically with emerging outbreaks of pyrogenic, enteric, and/or neurologic disease in horses in the United States, Japan, and Europe. We describe the pathologic, immunohistochemical, ultrastructural, and molecular findings in 2 horses and 1 donkey that succumbed to natural infection with ECoV. One horse and the donkey (case Nos. 1, 3) had severe diffuse necrotizing enteritis with marked villous attenuation, epithelial cell necrosis at the tips of the villi, neutrophilic and fibrinous extravasation into the small intestinal lumen (pseudomembrane formation), as well as crypt necrosis, microthrombosis, and hemorrhage. The other horse (case No. 2) had hyperammonemic encephalopathy with Alzheimer type II astrocytosis throughout the cerebral cortex. ECoV was detected by quantitative polymerase chain reaction in small intestinal tissue, contents, and/or feces, and coronavirus antigen was detected by immunohistochemistry in the small intestine in all cases. Coronavirus-like particles characterized by spherical, moderately electron lucent, enveloped virions with distinct peplomer-like structures projecting from the surface were detected by negatively stained transmission electron microscopy in small intestine in case No. 1, and transmission electron microscopy of fixed small intestinal tissue from the same case revealed similar 85- to 100-nm intracytoplasmic particles located in vacuoles and free in the cytoplasm of unidentified (presumably epithelial) cells. Sequence comparison showed 97.9% to 99.0% sequence identity with the ECoV-NC99 and Tokachi09 strains. All together, these results indicate that ECoV is associated with necrotizing enteritis and hyperammonemic encephalopathy in equids.
© The Author(s) 2015.
Publication Date: 2015-02-03 PubMed ID: 25648965DOI: 10.1177/0300985814568683Google Scholar: Lookup
The Equine Research Bank provides access to a large database of publicly available scientific literature. Inclusion in the Research Bank does not imply endorsement of study methods or findings by Mad Barn.
- Case Reports
- Journal Article
Summary
This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.
This study presents findings on the association of Equine Coronavirus (ECoV) with severe digestive tract inflammation (necrotizing enteritis) and brain disorders (hyperammonemic encephalopathy) in horses and donkeys. The research details the pathological and molecular characteristics of natural ECoV infection in two horses and one donkey, providing evidence of ECoV’s sequence similarity to NC99 and Tokachi09 strains.
Understanding Equine Coronavirus
- ECoV is a type of Betacoronavirus recently linked to clinical and epidemiological outbreaks of innate immune response (pyrogenic), digestive system (enteric), and/or neurological disease in horses in the United States, Japan, and Europe.
- The study investigates the pathological, immunohistorical, ultrastructural, and molecular findings related to ECoV in two horses and one donkey.
Research Findings
- In one horse and the donkey, the symptoms were very severe, leading to necrotizing enteritis. This term refers to extensive inflammation and cell death in the intestine, mainly seen through considerable villous attenuation, cell death at the tips of the villi and the formation of pseudomembrane in the small intestinal lumen.
- Structural changes like crypt necrosis, microthrombosis, and hemorrhage were also noticed in the animals, further complicating their health condition.
- In another horse, the infection led to hyperammonemic encephalopathy characterized by Alzheimer type II astrocytosis throughout the cerebral cortex, a rare condition of the brain associated with high levels of ammonia in the blood.
Methodology and Detection
- ECoV was detected in the small intestines, contents, and/or feces of all subjects through a quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Specific ECoV antigens were also identified via immunohistochemistry in the small intestine.
- Through transmission electron microscopy, coronavirus-like particles were identified within the small intestine of the first case. These particles, located in vacuoles and free in the cytoplasm of unidentified cells, were characterised by spherical, enveloped virions with distinct peplomer-like structures projecting from the surface.
Molecular Analysis
- Molecular analysis revealed a high degree of sequence similarity (between 97.9% to 99.0%) of the researched ECoV with NC99 and Tokachi09 strains, further solidifying the evidence of the specific strain of the virus involved in the inflammation and brain disorders in the investigated equids.
Conclusion
- The results altogether indicate that ECoV is associated with necrotizing enteritis and hyperammonemic encephalopathy in horses and donkeys, explaining the severe health conditions observed in the animal subjects.
Cite This Article
APA
Giannitti F, Diab S, Mete A, Stanton JB, Fielding L, Crossley B, Sverlow K, Fish S, Mapes S, Scott L, Pusterla N.
(2015).
Necrotizing Enteritis and Hyperammonemic Encephalopathy Associated With Equine Coronavirus Infection in Equids.
Vet Pathol, 52(6), 1148-1156.
https://doi.org/10.1177/0300985814568683 Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN, USA fgiannitti@yahoo.com.
- California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA.
- California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA.
- Department of Veterinary Microbiology and Pathology and Washington Animal Disease Diagnostic Laboratory, College of Veterinary Medicine, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA.
- Loomis Basin Equine Medical Center, Loomis, CA, USA.
- California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA.
- California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA.
- California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA.
- Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA.
- Idaho Equine Hospital, Nampa, ID, USA.
- Department of Medicine and Epidemiology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis, CA, USA.
MeSH Terms
- Animals
- Base Sequence
- Brain Diseases / pathology
- Brain Diseases / veterinary
- Brain Diseases / virology
- Coronavirus / genetics
- Coronavirus / immunology
- Coronavirus / isolation & purification
- Coronavirus Infections / pathology
- Coronavirus Infections / veterinary
- Coronavirus Infections / virology
- Enteritis / pathology
- Enteritis / veterinary
- Enteritis / virology
- Equidae
- Feces / virology
- Female
- Horse Diseases / pathology
- Horse Diseases / virology
- Horses
- Hyperammonemia / veterinary
- Intestine, Small / pathology
- Intestine, Small / virology
- Molecular Sequence Data
- Necrosis / veterinary
- Sequence Analysis, DNA / veterinary
Citations
This article has been cited 28 times.- Stummer M, Frisch V, Glitz F, Hinney B, Spergser J, Krücken J, Diekmann I, Dimmel K, Riedel C, Cavalleri JV, Rümenapf T, Joachim A, Lyrakis M, Auer A. Presence of Equine and Bovine Coronaviruses, Endoparasites, and Bacteria in Fecal Samples of Horses with Colic. Pathogens 2023 Aug 15;12(8).
- Shehata AA, Attia YA, Rahman MT, Basiouni S, El-Seedi HR, Azhar EI, Khafaga AF, Hafez HM. Diversity of Coronaviruses with Particular Attention to the Interspecies Transmission of SARS-CoV-2. Animals (Basel) 2022 Feb 4;12(3).
- Uzal FA, Arroyo LG, Navarro MA, Gomez DE, Asín J, Henderson E. Bacterial and viral enterocolitis in horses: a review. J Vet Diagn Invest 2022 May;34(3):354-375.
- Kopper JJ, Willette JA, Kogan CJ, Seguin A, Bolin SR, Schott HC 2nd. Detection of pathogens in blood or feces of adult horses with enteric disease and association with outcome of colitis. J Vet Intern Med 2021 Sep;35(5):2465-2472.
- Schvartz G, Tirosh-Levy S, Barnum S, David D, Sol A, Pusterla N, Steinman A. Seroprevalence and Risk Factors for Exposure to Equine Coronavirus in Apparently Healthy Horses in Israel. Animals (Basel) 2021 Mar 21;11(3).
- Colina SE, Serena MS, Echeverría MG, Metz GE. Clinical and molecular aspects of veterinary coronaviruses. Virus Res 2021 May;297:198382.
- Zappulli V, Ferro S, Bonsembiante F, Brocca G, Calore A, Cavicchioli L, Centelleghe C, Corazzola G, De Vreese S, Gelain ME, Mazzariol S, Moccia V, Rensi N, Sammarco A, Torrigiani F, Verin R, Castagnaro M. Pathology of Coronavirus Infections: A Review of Lesions in Animals in the One-Health Perspective. Animals (Basel) 2020 Dec 11;10(12).
- Haake C, Cook S, Pusterla N, Murphy B. Coronavirus Infections in Companion Animals: Virology, Epidemiology, Clinical and Pathologic Features. Viruses 2020 Sep 13;12(9).
- Goodrich EL, Mittel LD, Glaser A, Ness SL, Radcliffe RM, Divers TJ. Novel findings from a beta coronavirus outbreak on an American Miniature Horse breeding farm in upstate New York. Equine Vet Educ 2020 Mar;32(3):150-154.
- Pusterla N, Vin R, Leutenegger C, Mittel LD, Divers TJ. Equine coronavirus: An emerging enteric virus of adult horses. Equine Vet Educ 2016 Apr;28(4):216-223.
- Mattei DN, Kopper JJ, Sanz MG. Equine Coronavirus-Associated Colitis in Horses: A Retrospective Study. J Equine Vet Sci 2020 Apr;87:102906.
- DeNotta SL, Divers TJ. Clinical Pathology in the Adult Sick Horse: The Gastrointestinal System and Liver. Vet Clin North Am Equine Pract 2020 Apr;36(1):105-120.
- Castells M, Giannitti F, Caffarena RD, Casaux ML, Schild C, Castells D, Riet-Correa F, Victoria M, Parreño V, Colina R. Bovine coronavirus in Uruguay: genetic diversity, risk factors and transboundary introductions from neighboring countries. Arch Virol 2019 Nov;164(11):2715-2724.
- Wu YH, Chen IC, Lin JY, Dai ZK. Hyperammonemic encephalopathy in a pediatric patient with Salmonella enteritis and after Roux-en-Y surgery. Kaohsiung J Med Sci 2019 Mar;35(3):187-188.
- Sanz MG, Kwon S, Pusterla N, Gold JR, Bain F, Evermann J. Evaluation of equine coronavirus fecal shedding among hospitalized horses. J Vet Intern Med 2019 Mar;33(2):918-922.
- Schaefer E, Harms C, Viner M, Barnum S, Pusterla N. Investigation of an experimental infection model of equine coronavirus in adult horses. J Vet Intern Med 2018 Nov;32(6):2099-2104.
- Pusterla N, Vin R, Leutenegger CM, Mittel LD, Divers TJ. Enteric coronavirus infection in adult horses. Vet J 2018 Jan;231:13-18.
- Shaw SD, Stämpfli H. Diagnosis and Treatment of Undifferentiated and Infectious Acute Diarrhea in the Adult Horse. Vet Clin North Am Equine Pract 2018 Apr;34(1):39-53.
- Nemoto M, Kanno T, Bannai H, Tsujimura K, Yamanaka T, Kokado H. Antibody response to equine coronavirus in horses inoculated with a bovine coronavirus vaccine. J Vet Med Sci 2017 Nov 17;79(11):1889-1891.
- Kooijman LJ, James K, Mapes SM, Theelen MJ, Pusterla N. Seroprevalence and risk factors for infection with equine coronavirus in healthy horses in the USA. Vet J 2017 Feb;220:91-94.
- Uzal FA, Diab SS. Gastritis, Enteritis, and Colitis in Horses. Vet Clin North Am Equine Pract 2015 Aug;31(2):337-58.
- Li L, Giannitti F, Low J, Keyes C, Ullmann LS, Deng X, Aleman M, Pesavento PA, Pusterla N, Delwart E. Exploring the virome of diseased horses. J Gen Virol 2015 Sep;96(9):2721-2733.
- Ricci I, Rosone F, Pacchiarotti G, Manna G, Cersini A, Carvelli A, La Rocca D, Cammalleri E, Giordani R, Tofani S, Conti R, Rombolà P, Nardini R, Minniti CA, Caforio R, Linardi B, Scicluna MT. Pegiviruses and Coronavirus: Biomolecular Prevalence and Phylogenetic Analysis of Strains Detected in Italian Horse Populations. Viruses 2025 Aug 2;17(8).
- Fukumoto N, Bannai H, Kawanishi N, Shibata M, Kishi D, Kambayashi Y, Tsujimura K, Nemoto M. The first outbreak of equine coronavirus infection in 13 years among draft horses at Obihiro Racecourse in Japan in 2025. J Vet Med Sci 2025 Oct 1;87(10):1158-1163.
- Yu J, Ge S, Li J, Zhang Y, Xu J, Wang Y, Liu S, Yu X, Wang Z. Interaction between coronaviruses and the autophagic response. Front Cell Infect Microbiol 2024;14:1457617.
- Haywood LMB, Sheahan BJ. A Review of Epithelial Ion Transporters and Their Roles in Equine Infectious Colitis. Vet Sci 2024 Oct 7;11(10).
- Kambayashi Y, Nemoto M, Ochi A, Kishi D, Ueno T, Tsujimura K, Bannai H, Kawanishi N, Ohta M, Suzuki T. Equine coronavirus infection and replication in equine intestinal enteroids. Vet Res 2024 Oct 10;55(1):135.
- Pusterla N, Lawton K, Barnum S. Investigation of the seroprevalence to equine coronavirus and SARS-CoV-2 in healthy adult horses recently imported to the United States. Vet Q 2024 Dec;44(1):1-6.
Use Nutrition Calculator
Check if your horse's diet meets their nutrition requirements with our easy-to-use tool Check your horse's diet with our easy-to-use tool
Talk to a Nutritionist
Discuss your horse's feeding plan with our experts over a free phone consultation Discuss your horse's diet over a phone consultation
Submit Diet Evaluation
Get a customized feeding plan for your horse formulated by our equine nutritionists Get a custom feeding plan formulated by our nutritionists
